A DESERTED CHILD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 89, 31 August 1912, Page 4

A DESERTED CHILD.

LEFT ON A DOORSTEP. By Telegraph—Press Association. 1 Dunedin, Last Night. An unusual case came before the Police Court to-day. when Ellen Baker, a married'woman, was charged that, being a person having the custody of a twp months' old child, she did wilfully abandon such child in a manner likely to cause it unnecessary suffering or injury to its ; health. Accused was the complainant in the affiliation ease, Baker v. Johnston. Johnston has been remanded several times. Complainant, who was a married woman, was then living at Huntly, but eventually she came here to prosecute him. In the meantime Johnston was on his way to Huntly, and was brought back to Dunedin, being remanded for a week, in order that complainant might obtain the necessary evidence. When accused came here she had very little money, and now she had spent" all she had. and was unable to support the child. She took the child to Johnston's mother's house and left it there. Evidence showed that accused went to Johnston's mother's house lust night and left the child on the doorstep, with the remark, "Here is your son's child." There was a letter left with the child, in which the woman said that she could not keep it.- She, however, left enough food to keep it for a month or two, and enough clothes to do it for a,year. The clothes ' and food were rolled up in a bundle. The I bundles include a fairly extensive sup- | ply of condensed milk and clothing. Afi tor' hearing the evidence, the Magistrate J dismissed the case. The child was subi sequentlv committed to an industrial I school.